The National Investigation Agency probing the link of Kashmir based NGOs with terror funding has found evidence to show that foreign donation from African and European countries was misused by the organisations to support terrorists in the valley.
Eleven locations were raided by NIA on Wednesday — nine in Srinagar, one in Bandipora and Bengaluru each. Though the FIR registered by NIA last week only names “trusts and NGOs” instead of specific names, officials told News18 that the following organisations were under the scanner: Jakat, Fala-e-insaniyat , JKCS-Jammu and Kashmir Coalition for Civil Society, APDPK-Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons and Athrout.
Several incriminating documents and electronic devices were seized, the NIA said in a statement. Those whose premises were searched include Khurram Parvez (coordinator of the J&K Coalition of Civil Society), his associates Parvez Ahmad Bukhari, Parvez Ahmad Matta and Bangalore-based associate Smitha Sheshadri as well as Parveena Ahanger, chairperson of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP). The offices of the NGO Athrout and GK Trust were also searched, the statement added.
Senior NIA officials told News18, “These NGOs were not registered, did not have FCRA license. Yet, they were getting funds from Pakistan, Europe and even countries like Fiji and East Timor.” Officials in the agency claimed that the money coming in to these NGOs was misused to support, “cadre of terrorist groups”, and also to come up with publications that, “deliberately sowed seeds of discontent against Indian government, portray Indian Army as an oppressive military and gloss over human rights violations by terrorists”.
Officials said that during the searches, “Incriminating evidence was found from the digital devices of the suspect and evidence indicating the money trail.” “Crores came into account of these organisations yet one individual associated with NGO said he did not have a bank account,” an NIA official involved with the investigation said.
Another officer added that evidence has been found against suspect Smitha Sheshadri, who works with Bangalore-based tourism NGO Equation. “So far there is nothing to implicate Equation but Sheshadri’s role has been bolstered by the evidence seized during searches. Digital devices have shown incriminating evidence,” the officer said.
The digital devices are being sent to forensic science laboratories by NIA. Agency has alleged that the journalists and activists raided wielded their “pen as a weapon against India”.
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